Just got back from a walk up to the Lane in SC… flat… and damn cold! Linden is running late, maybe Wed morning… too many parties up in HMB, Haji is heading down from SF to pick up his used board, and he was hoping to get some water…..did I mention how cold it was?? As soon as Haj shows up, we will walk on down the hill to the trade show…. then we decided to start back on Wed., possibly take the coast after a morning surf?? Have fun!!

Mark

Made the drive from CB to the magic smell of Stocton…. drove by and waved at one of the portland guys who surf in our area… rides a bing….. good guy…he is on his way to Santa Cruz, may run into him on Thursday when I am there….. of all places, just before Weed…. Overall, a pretty mild drive south, dropped off the Velzy in Azelea, Casey who bought the board, was very happy he didn’t have to travel up to CB to pick it up….. Going to get an early start, try to get to Oceanside by late afternoon, pick up my new board, and attempt a late surf before cocktails and the running around on tuesday…… should be a busy day….

Spent some time in the shaping rooms with Gary, he is working alot with chambered balsa and agave….. very interesting to see how he glues up an agave blank to turn out to a piece of art…. his personal gun is a 10′ Balsa, says it will out last just about any board, and with the chambers, weighs as much as a standard polyester board. He can shape a 9’0 balsa, with 2z of glass, and will still out last most boards…. and , damn they are pretty!!! Foggy this morning, swell still small, hopefully we can find some surf before the show……

Few shots from my stop in Huntington Beach….. met up with Kim Hamrock, then got to check out a couple of the greeks 6ft Shorty’s….. 5 fin, did one with a full nose , the other with a pulled in nose…. super fast and floaty…… Kim is thinking of getting one about 4’10 or so…..

Notes from the road…….. Made it to Ashland last night, the sunset over the mountains was spectacular!…. rain quit just south of Eugene, so I made good time. Got up and left Ashland around 3:30a this morning and headed south. The sunrise over the damn desert was pretty good, but , it was still the damn desert….. talked to SB, said I wasn’t missing anything up there except a bunch of rain…. So…. I just drove, pretty uneventful, lots of dry land down here, and lots of signs along the road giving our congress the credit for the dry land without any food planted…. that damn bull about the smelt….. alot of people out of work! Got into LA… wow, still glad I don’t live down here…. so, made it to Oceanside to pick up a bag and leash from staycovered and stopped to check out some of the boards at Linden’s shop… nice stuff!! Then we went back to the shaping rooms to show off his latest Agave and Balsa boards he is working on….. way too nice!!! After that, went to check the surf…. high tide and junk…..so, I checked in to the regular motel, getting caught up on this stuff, and heading over to the Ocean cafe for some cocktails……. Surfing with Gary in the morning, then going to all the appointments with other shapers and suppliers…… might not update until Wed or thursday…… Have a great week….

From our dear friend in N. Ireland, Spanky Patterson:
Yea, great pic there buckwheat … Cheers … Lets consider this some. …You get a parade of world class sticks, and you show them tastlelessly ‘displayed’ for us all in board bags, Mekene-wrapeed in 40 year old smelly Blurtwatched blankets, hangin out the bag of your decrepid ‘surf wagon’ …. Lets guess… Is there a plain white one in there? A blue one? Maybe a striped one or an epoxy? ….
Or maybe one with a big “Buckwheat Don’t Do Pop Outs Anymore, ner does he have a Fecken Clue how to Maximise his Online Advertising Potential by Hiding his Noo Sticks inside a Stink Assed Wagon that hasn’t Seen the Light of So Much As a Baby Whipe For Going Twenny Years Now … ” sign running along the entire length of it ….
In fact the thought of these nice new boards yellowing up the I5 from San Diego in that putrid environment already knocks a few bucks offem id say … Don’t know about the rest of you, but fartsacked boards are every bit as bad as sunburnt yellowed ones. Tired. Dejected. De-energised. Choked during a 30 hour non-stop coffee and Taco Bell infused journey that acts like a malign glass job. These sucker probly don’t even flaot anymore ….
Therefore I’ll give you 300 for the Linden ‘Creamy-sickle’ just cause it sounds rude…
In fact make that 200 …

Now then … Did I tell y’all id had a bad weekend?
mark patterson, presenter
Now, that being “shared”, I thought I would add my “roady notes” from the trip, and I did add 3 pictures of a few of the boards I picked up, before they became too soiled in the back of the van….. And No, Spanky Patterson, I did not surf this weekend, so I too am a bit on the “frazzeled side”. So…… last week, did the roady with my son, who is “in between jobs.. decided the Beaverton PD was not the place he would be happy for 20 years”…. turned out to be a good time! Surf was pretty crappy all the way down, but had some really good meetings with some of our business partners. Started Out Monday morning, meeting Mark and Danni (his girlfriend) for breakfast at a really good little chinese rest. in San Fran, a few blocks east of 800 block Larkin St…… then, got charged $25 for an hour and a half of parking at a lot…… what a rip…breakfast was cheaper….. Thankfully , she is moving up next month!! From there, we headed south….. hot…. fuk’n hot…. stopped in Pismo for lunch and to check the surf…. surf was about 2 ft, air temp on the beach 97……… lousy mexican rest….. won’t do that one again! From there, we headed to Huntington Beach…… and LA traffic….. had dinner at a great sushi rest. .. Gesshin, 16492 Beach Blvd…… fantastic food and really good people that own the place!!!! Started out the next morning driving over to the pier….. surf was a steady 2 ft….. had breakfast at the Ihop…. then a couple hour meeting with Bob Bolen “the Greek”…. picked up a couple of new shorty’s….. and some new ideas……. from there, off to meet one of our new suppliers… Birdwell Britches…. still made the same way, the same machines, even the same computers from the old days….. classic great shorts!!! Then to Oceanside to a meeting with Harry from Boz….. discussed the new rubber coming out, and some new styles in the works…. met with Mark from Stay Covered then a long meeting with Gary Linden, after Surfline finished filming him doing what he does best…… Got a couple hours in Carlsbad with some mediocre surf… but, no booties or gloves…… then off to dinner at Fidel’s…. oh…. it’s not Fidels anymore…. just “Norte”….. with the loss of the name, also went the loss of great food and service….thank god we had a bottle of vodka back at the Ocean Palms, and sat out with Sam and Sharon, drank and smoked a nice cigar……. Was supposed to meet Gary for a morning surf….. just plain crap…… so, we went to breakfast at a great place on the corner of 101 and Carlsbad Blvd.. Daily News Cafe…. great food and really great people….. well worth the stop! Then up to see Shea Weber at the Dewey Weber shop in San Clemente for a lengthy meeting……. bought some boards and other stuff…… from there off to San Marcos to meet with the Cobian people….. ordered some sandals, not made in China, but Mexico…… by that time it was late lunch time…. headed to a new Rest. on the corner of 5th and Laurel in San Diego…. an old friend who used to manage the La Valencia Hotel and owns a rest. in Rancho Bernardo, “French Market” just opened the “Hexagone”. His nephew, Ben (also from Paris) was managing, and we had a bit of a wait for his highness Patrick to show…. we have been friends since the 70′s, so the shit flipping began very quickly….. Food was out of this world!! Damn, hadn’t had really good french cooking in quite a while….. we were under dressed, but even Mark found the Escargot to be great…. get a chance….. go see Patrick or his nephew Ben (he surfs)…..Then to my parents, so my son could see his grandparents that he had not seen in about 20 years….. so, with cocktails and dinner it was a very good evening…. even Mike and Maura showed up……!!! Thursday, an early morning surf at Pipes…..nothing great, but felt good to get some waist high and a couple chest high waves….. then the loading process at Linden and Stay Covered…… done…. off to breakfast with Sharon and Cathe…. cousins in Oceanside…… that is a story in it self for later……. Mark wanted Sharon to give him Sam as a drinking partner…… Stopped at Weber for the final load, then off to the NW….. on Friday, hit snow over by Shasta……….. all in all a very busy week, but the meetings were really worth the time, and a chance to see family was really good…… and , glad to be back up here…..too bad at this point the surf has been , well so so……. surf report later….. if you actually read all this….. damn you are good!!!!

Yesterday was pretty busy…. met up with the Greek for a few hours in the morning, picked up a couple of shorty’s for the shop, then Mark and Bob got into a internet / web discussion, that pretty much left me touching and feeling all the boards in his shop….. then off to our newest supplier, Birdwell Britches… met the crew there, and picked up a bunch of shorts for the shop… all made in the USA…… then down to Oceanside, met up with Harry from Boz, Mark at stay covered, then spent some time with Linden…. no Sandy… the bumble bee was not finished, so I couldn’t get any pictures….. got an afternoon session in Carlsbad, in some damn tiny surf, but felt good to paddle up and down the beach…. water temp about 60….. sun was out….. then a dinner at Fidels, now just called Norte in Carlsbad with family…… and we did some drinking, but not enough to stop me from getting up for an early morning session with Gary…….. too bad the surf is even worse this morning than yesterday, and some light S winds with overcast sky’s….. so, finally got the computer to connect to the wireless here at the hotel…… going to go get some coffee, then off to San Clemente to meet with Shea Weber and pick up a few boards….. not sure when we will get wireless again…… but, hope the surf cleans up a bit later today!!! Sounds like Cory has been getting some waves up there…… damn…never fails…..

Made it down to Huntington Beach…… had breakfast in San Francisco, lunch in Pismo….. hot….. yes….. damn hot!!!! 95 on the beach in pismo with surf about 1-2 foot…. didn’t get any better as we drove south. Hopefully, it won’t be so damn hot on Tuesday, and an extra foot or two would be nice……. Heard the foot is getting some waves up there, and “flounder” is going to christen his new board in the morning……

Not a real eventful day….. got up early, hit Capitola, found my favorite bakery , got the cinnamon roll and finally a good cup of coffee… still dark, so I drove over to the hook….. had plans of hitting sharkies…… waited for about 45 min’s for it to get light enough to see the swell…… damn….. knee with an occassional waist high, sharkies flat……. and, at daybreak, about 20 guys out on one small peak….. 39 degrees…. i took a pass… drove around, indicators looking Ok, but crowded….. 4 guys at cowells trying to get some knee to waist mushers…….. so, screw it….. started the drive north to see Craig at Cowboys in Half Moon Bay……. made a few stops on the way….. nada…. too early for Craig….. doesn’t open until 10a!?!?! What the hell kinda of surf shop doesn’t open early…….. never mind………. so, went over to Danny Hess’s place to pick up the boards….. 2 were done, the custom will be shipped up next week….. to say the boards are nice is an understatement…… for any new board orders, he is about a year out…. and has more orders coming in. From there, started north….. ended up in the nicest hotel of the week….. Windmill in Roseburg….. good price and damn nice room….. finally a good score!!! Hit all the weather….. rain, slush, sun and wind……. from 29 to 48 degrees….. glad to be home on friday……. I should have all the new pictures on the site by saturday…….new toys!!!!!

Just got back…. the damn laptop died on monday , and I had no internet access until then….. the tin man struck…… so……. first shot is friday daybreak over bakersfield….. what a place I never want to live in!! Long drive, then hit the 405, and got stuck up by Mulholland drive…… another place I would never want to live……. hot….. and miserable….. then I finally got to Carlsbad, boards weren’t ready, so I went in search of some surf….. found some small knee to waist high nuggets just north of the state park….. water was damn warm!!! Then, got up, and met up with Gary Linden and Mark Cappa (stay covered)…… surfed the end of Oside Blvd….. wasn’t all that good, but damn crowded…. I beat those guys out by about 45 min’s… warm water , had some shoulder high waves, but they were quick and short….. longest ride was about 40 ft….. then slam on the shore break…… Was fun surfing with those guys…. Gary can catch anything and was gettiing barreled, working the waves…. damn he is good…. Mark was in my league, but a fun guy to surf with… did get to see him go over the falls sittiing on his board….. damn that was funny, but he did get the best left of the morning……. after that, we went over to Surfcraft glassers, to pick up my new board…. JT pictured with Gary did the work…. pictures of that later!!! Then, Sunday morning, one of the highlights of the weekend was supposed to be surfing with my baby sister Mo, and Kerry…… but, we went out to La Jolla thinking there might be a little protection from the South winds….. no way…..sucked!! So, we ended up back at Mo’s, got to watch her mess with her horses, and Mike pick up horse shit…. then we were off to the 60th anniversary party for my parents…..great time…. good friends and family…… Monday Morning, went back to Pipes…. nasty…. huge, no way to get out through the high tide and white water…. drove up the coast, found nothing…… stopped at Lindens to load up all the new toys for the shop, and saw Cappa doing what he does best……. sweep…… then started the 20 hour drive home…… glad to be back!!!